*Weird* Patient Allergies

[cherrybreeze]

What are some of the weird allergies/reactions that patients have told you they have? I can't remember so many that made me go "hmmmmm.." but not long ago, I came across these two (on the same person!):

Caffeine: causes tachycardia (really?)

Cocaine: anaphylaxis (perhaps you took too much??)

[CarrieH]

One patient said she was allergic to Sodium. Another allergic to chocolate. And the last one allergic to chicken anaphylactic reaction. The Sodium allergy was the funniest.

I'm allergic to chocolate... it makes my rear end swell.

Seriously though... I'm allergic to raspberries, but not any other berry. I didn't become allergic until I was an adult and I used to eat them off the wild bushes in my back yard as a kid. Go figure.

I've had a couple of patients tell me they were allergic to antihistamines and prednisone... some real allergies and some just side effects.

I had one patient (a kid) whose blood work showed that he was highly allergic to just about everything EXCEPT cat dander.

[CarrieH]

"heparin makes me bleed!"

How about "Coumadin makes me bruise"?

Ok, but the blood clot will make you die.

[catshowlady]

I think it is interesting the more people are finding they are allergic to horse hair serum that is used in some vaccines.

And I have always wondered if people who are allergic to cat hair would react to one of the sphynx hairless cats?

Actually, most people are allergic to the animal dander, which is made up of dead skin cells, dried saliva, etc. (just like we shed dead skin cells). Sphynx cats actually produce more dander than the average cat, because their skin is very oily (perhaps to make up for the lack of fur :)). They are harder to keep clean than any other short-haired cat breed. So they can be more allergy-causing than less.

Re: being allergic to orange cats only (next post) it is possible. Orange-based colors are created with an entirely different pigment than black-based colors.

Some people are allergic to only certain breeds of cat. I met a breeder of Turkish Angoras, which are long-haired, at a cat show. She loves Burmese, which are short-haired. She got a Burmese, only to have to return it to the breeder, because her husband was allergic to the Burmese, but never had an allergy to the Turkish Angoras. (shrug)

catshowlady - Burmese cat breeder

[pielęgniarka, RN]

I heard about a weird allergy using Benadryl. In our CICU we gave a patient po Benadryl pre-op to the Cath Lab, but he broke out in hives. Gave epi and IV Benadryl and he was fine. Next day, same thing--po Benadryl pre-op and again he broke out in hives, but no reaction to the IV Benadryl. Turns out he was allergic to the red dye used to make the Benadryl capsules!

Absolutely! My brother had a severe allergic reaction to Benedryl when we were kids, hives all over and wheezing, he was rushed to the hospital and luckily was ok. Not all allergies are to the exact med but those darn unneccesary ADDITIVES!

[Shenanigans, RN]

Hah, its funny though. I'm allergic to my rats, if I get their pee on me my entire body explodes in rashes and hives. Its quite impressive really.

Of course, I didn't know I was allergic till I got the ratties, and my friend polaramine and his mate adrenalin means I wont' have to give them up anytime soon (mind you, they're old ratties and will be dead in about a year).

Heheh.

Which reminded me, a pt the other day told me she was allergic to latex. I asked her what she used for protection - she was in for a really nasty gonnohreea infection "Oh, you know, those condoms you get from the supermarket"..

So... you use the latex ones?

[jeepgirl, LPN, NP]

Don't understand why they would give you the "look". It's a well documented phenomenon - lots of asthmatics can be allergic to NSAIDS.

Here in the UK, Drs will not prescribe NSAIDS if the patient has a history of Asthma, that is unless they have taken them before with no problems

this is true. it can cause a worsening of the asthmatic state as well... pretty much try not to give asthmatics nsaids if you can help it.

[Peri]

quote"In the past, one thing that use to bother me was when medical staff asked, "Do you have any allergies?" So, I would start listing them and then they would all snooty and huffy and say, "Any allergies to medications?". Yikes....sorry! Maybe they should have asked me that specifically in the first place. You ask any allergies. Now when asked, I ask them if they specifically mean only med allergies.

Where I work, we do ask for any allergies. It doesn't matter what it is. We want it listed."

I don't understand why food allergies would be disregarded,don't they say that you shouldn't get the flu vaccine if you're allergic to eggs?What if you're allergic to dyes that are used to make the medicine?

I agree.

We also list ALL allergies as this might show a latent allergy related to an existing one.

The Dr should have been more specific in his request, but he sounds a bit of a ditz.

[MinnieMomRN]

Patient: "sugar"

Me: "do you mean,certain types?? Like those found in milk??"

Patient: "no. plain sugar -- like glucose".

Alrighty then...

[KristiePDX]

Wow, I did not realize that there are others out there allergic to benedryl! Makes sense about the food dye on the capsules. Being allergic to an antihistamine seems so counterintuitive......

[queenjean]

I only read the first 11 pages, so forgive me if this has already been mentioned:

Lil ol lady: "I'm allergic to ALL antibiotics."

Me: "All of them? Every single type of antibiotic?"

LOL: "Yes, every single one of them."

Me: "What happens when you take an antibiotic?"

LOL: "I get a really bad yeast infection. "

While I can sympathize, this one still makes me snicker.

[Critical LPN]

:spbox: This is one of my sore spots in medicine as sometimes we all forget in the Medical field that the layman aquaints allergies and sensativitys to medications as the same thing and we do not take time to explain them to the patients as well as common reactions to some meds.

This includes the ever so popular (not always limited to female):blushkiss yeast problems to antibiotics. The problem with binders, additives, and dyes of any and all meds can be an issue that I personally had the misfortune to have to require only a specific " Brand " ,as a generic made me get terribly ill several times as the doctor said it could not be the med as they are all the same or the Government would not pass them (Oh, how we believe everthing we hear if it is the Gov. or in print).

:igtsyt:The Doctors are very intolerant of these things at times and for all their education and resources (including sometimes right at the bedside or office visit as they are ordering, Medicine Palm Pilots in hand, ETC), poo-pooing or telling a patient that they are or must be mistaken as the patient's particular allergy and or sensitivity to the med they are ordering does not fall in the usual (nausea, vomiting, sleepiness) catagory.:barf01:

Edema seeems to be one of the worse side effects I have seen of NSAIDS as well as potential CHF and yet when a patient has a pain issue (even in one of the local Pain Clinics), they are told that it must be from something else even though edema is one of the most recorded side effects on the allergy list given to the patients at the local pharmacys. "You are just wanting something a little stronger are'nt you? as they give the grin we all know is of their disbelief in the patient's complaint that either the NSAIDS are making them sick or swollen.:wtosts:

I realize that there is a terrible drug crisis in this country, but we as nurses have had it shoved down our throats that undermedicating pain(esp. in the first few days post op) and pain as the V/S that we are also to record every single time we do V/S, now have to consume time (talking, soothing, warmth, cool, psych consults) etc. that the patient won't get outside of our care when they leave or even in our care as we are to overworked to provide all the wonderful diversionary care to pain we know how to do.:redpinkhe:saint: ( Because we have become experts at trying to chart that when all else failed, just what do we do when the doctor will not medicate or increase medicine and gives us that dreaded order to "just try to passify the patient with more diversionary care"). There are ways to start with less addictive meds and work up to Narcotics(Opiates) if needed without overdosing the patients. Would it not be better, while in the hospital postoperatively to assess tolearance and releif as to increaseed mobility, proper TCDB, and ambulation than to pre judge and send the patient out in pain that he/she is too scared to speak of due to being made fun of or ostersized as a "whimp" as unfortunately too many Medical staff are still shameful of even after all the extra teaching education we all receive.:selfbonk:

Many patients look up to us to be their help in a time when they are helpless or feeling so.:wshgrt: We let them down by making light of their possible actual allergy (just because we have not heard of it!). I have seen patients that had been thin as a sheet weeks before a doctor visit, that now are puffy, very edematous in the face or arms/legs and swear they got that way after a particular med, animal, or even the silliest smell (ie: cat urine) only to be made fun of by staff behind their back. And God forbid the patient that has "too" many allergies even if they have proof from recorded episodes of shock or swollen breathing passages (the cat urine person) . Will they be the next one to code on the unit and everyone wonder why?

Sorry to carry on, but after 30 years of seeing things like this happen, and only a very few being the so called "psych" type and even fewer than that being ever diagnosed as due to mental induced, I have had to question how many deaths were uncalled for if only we had listened and perhaps at least tried to rule out the allergy or took the time to explain the difference of allergy and sensitivity to a patient. Sometimes, depending on the situation (going for test or surgery where a particular med could make the difference), is there really much of a difference in the potential outcome of the life or care of the patient? Maybe trying something else t'aint so bad now, uhhh?

After all, was'nt that long ago, we found out from a study that women's heart attack symptoms were different most imes from men. The so called "oh she just has problems with her nerves or her hormones". Most common female heart attack symptom seen prior to EKG in many ERs if done, have been, anxiety. ("nerves") Many women do not know why they all of a sudden feel short of breath all the time any more("just nerves?), abdominal pains instead of over heart or down arms("cramps, nerves"). :chair:

So please just remember, we are all human and think everyone else is sometimes a "little off", but WE may be that one who is trying to explain the sometimes seemingly unexplainable allergy, pain, symptom to someine in the Medical field and it might just be our life depending on it. So if not taken seriously, how would you feel????? :crying2::madface::sofahider

Just food for thought. Did not want to take what was I think meant to be a lighthearted queary and make serious but, we do have to think of the new and growing Nurses and aides that may read this question.

[ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN]

I had a resident in the NH that was allergic to Whiskey and Marigolds...